Why is there a Trap in my view? (NZCS X Predator Free Collaboration)
Why is there a trap in my view? Six most scenic traps in New Zealand
Exploring most trails in Aotearoa, you might notice wooden boxes or contraptions.
While mysterious to those unfamiliar, they are actually signs of hope.
Eighty per cent of New Zealand’s plants, seventy per cent of its birdlife, all bats, reptiles, and amphibians, and ninety per cent of our freshwater fish are endemic, which means they are found nowhere else in the world. In fact, the only place on Earth that rivals our biodiversity is Madagascar. In both instances, unique biodiversity comes from tens of millions of years of isolation, allowing a unique evolutionary pathway for species to develop, unlike any other location in the world.
New Zealand has no native land mammalian predators, so when humans introduced rats, possums, feral cats, and stoats in the 19th century, they brought catastrophic devastation to both our native birdlife and the ecosystems they inhabited. Introduced predators devour forests and birdlife alike while pushing the unique wildlife of New Zealand to the brink of extinction.
The wooden boxes and other contraptions you see while enjoying nature are traps: a hands-on response to the threat of introduced predators.
Some are set and maintained by the Department of Conservation, working to safeguard public conservation land. But many more are placed by Predator Free 2050 Limited projects, community groups, and volunteers.
Heartbreakingly, introduced predators have adapted and thrived in our country. They’ve invaded almost every corner of Aotearoa, from coastal podocarp forests to the alpine divides of the Southern Alps. Introduced possums have been recorded at 2,000 metres elevation, while feral cats have been recorded traversing the main divide between the East and West Coasts, crossing terrain at extreme elevations and invading isolated catchments that contain some of the last strongholds of our birdlife. Rats and stoats, too, are highly adaptive species that inhabit most environments across New Zealand.
One of the great strengths of our country, though, is that we are not content to let our species vanish silently into the long night of extinction. Dedicated members of our communities have risen together to draw lines in the sand and take ownership of saving their specific region. That grim determination—that ours won’t be the last generation to enjoy our native biodiversity—shines in a spirit that rises to meet the challenge of a predator-free future for our country.
Everywhere you go across Aotearoa, everyday Kiwis are working to remove introduced predators using a combination of existing tools, new technology, and sheer audacity. Yet this is only the beginning; for every habitat that’s got a movement, five more need our help and assistance.
We wanted to shine a light on some of these stories, hoping to inspire the public of Aotearoa (and ultimately the world) to get involved with safeguarding the country we all love.
So, let’s dive into the six most scenic traps in New Zealand and explore the impacts they’re having.
You can learn more by visiting predatorfreenz.org or joining a local trapping group.
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The Routeburn Track.
Caption: Lucky Routeburn Track trampers will see rare and vulnerable species like Mohua (yellowhead), Pīwauwau (rock wren), kea, and whio (blue duck). DOC and Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust traps and aerial operations in the area give these endemic birds a fighting chance at survival. Image credit: Jessi Morgan
The Routeburn Track, an official Great Walk, provides a link between several critical environmental areas of New Zealand: South Westland, Fiordland, and Lake Wakatipu. This world-famous high alpine mountain trail is home to rare and vulnerable species like Mohua (yellowhead), Pīwauwau (rock wren), kea, and Whio (blue duck).
The area is managed by the Department of Conservation and the Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, and aerial operations give these native birds a fighting chance at survival. Of particular importance in the Routeburn is saving the Mohua, which has declined from being one of the most common birds in the South Island to facing regional extinction.
Department of Conservation rangers maintain fifty kilometres of traps across the wider region around the Routeburn. Across this area, a network of more than 1,000 traps is operated to keep predator numbers low and ensure the survival of species like the mohua. The Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust volunteers have 600 traps surrounding the Dart and Rees riverbeds below and another couple hundred on local trails and private land around Glenorchy.
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Swamp Summit
Caption: Perched on Swampy Summit, this automatic self-resetting trap overlooks the emerald-green valleys of the Silverpeaks near Dunedin. Predator Free Dunedin hauled hundreds of traps through thick flax, dense scrub, tussock, and fierce winds. Image credit: Abby Hodgkinson (Halo Project)
Dunedin is often called the wildlife capital of Aotearoa New Zealand. It’s one of the most accessible regions to see birdlife. Predator Free Dunedin oversees a variety of predator control and elimination projects here.
The Silverpeaks are stunning emerald-green hills and valleys of dense scrub, thick flax, and tussock surrounding the city. Home to small remnant populations of Kakaruai (robin), Titipounamu (rifleman), and the Kārearea (New Zealand falcon), the long-term vision for the Silverpeaks is to reduce introduced predators to near-zero levels, protecting 25,000 hectares of land. Reducing predators in the Silverpeaks will allow for a city free of mammalian predators and peninsulas that serve as a sanctuary zone.
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The Dart Valley
Caption: A trap set by the Southern Lakes Sanctuary team to catch stoats and rats just below the Dart Glacier in Mount Aspiring National Park. At over 1800m, it is part of one of the highest traplines, protecting alpine creatures like Pīwauwau (rock wren), Kea, Giant Wētā, and Lizards. Image credit: Southern Lakes Sanctuary
The Dart Valley is located at the head of Lake Wakatipu and stretches back into the depths of the Southern Alps for more than thirty kilometres. The Dart Glacier is located at the end of the valley, where the mountains rise thousands of metres over ‘the great dividing range’ of mountains that separate New Zealand’s East and West Coasts.
It’s high in these glaciers, which form part of the wider Mount Aspiring National Park, that many alpine species are making their last stand against waves of predators. Here, Pīwauwau (rock wren), Kea, Giant Wētā, and Lizards face intense predation from Rats and Stoats.
The Southern Lakes Sanctuary team, Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust volunteers and the Department of Conservation maintain close to 4,830 traps in the Rees-Dart-Greenstone region. High-altitude traps, as pictured, help prevent Stoats from reinvading the lower valleys, where threatened Takahē now live.
Another key measure of success is the protection of the endangered Pīwauwau (Rock Wren). Weighing just six grams, this little alpine bird suffers extensively from predation. A 2013 study suggested that most nests in the region were being preyed upon without predator control and that survivability for most adults does not exceed a couple of seasons. Seeing these birds bounce back would be a major step toward achieving the goals of the Southern Lakes Sanctuary.
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Mount Taranaki
Caption: Dotted along the Pouākai Crossing in Taranaki, you’ll find traps set by the Taranaki Mounga Project to catch rats, stoats and possums. Thanks to their efforts, more kiwi are reintroduced to the national park each year. Image credit: Melissa Brignall-Theyer (PF2050 Limited)
Dotted along the Pouākai Crossing in Taranaki, you’ll see traps set by the Taranaki Mounga Project. Te Papakura o Taranaki (Egmont National Park) is dominated by the 2,518-metre dormant volcano, Mount Taranaki. Still, it also contains critical subalpine, forest, and scrub habitat that is home to a variety of native species, including the western brown kiwi, Whio (blue duck) and Toutouwai (robin).
‘From rare to everywhere’ is the mantra for kiwi on Taranaki. After years of hardcore predator control to manage rats, stoats and possums, hundreds of translocated western brown kiwi call the area home. But the challenge is far from over - without ongoing protection from introduced predators, 95% of kiwi chicks die before reaching adulthood.
Taranaki Mounga is an ambitious project that aims to restore 34,000 hectares of national park in the Taranaki region, and is part of the wider Towards a Predator Free Taranaki project. Thanks to their efforts, more kiwi are being reintroduced to the national park each year.
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Aoraki (Mount Cook) National Park
Caption: High in the Malte Brun Range, in Aoraki (Mount Cook) National Park, this possum trap features a node that sends an alert when the trap is triggered. Tech like this and hard work from Te Manahuna Aoraki staff have helped eliminate possums and stoats from the range. Image credit: Doug Rands (ZIP)
The Malte Brun Range in Aoraki (Mount Cook) National Park is kea habitat.
These cheeky birds are the only true alpine parrots in the world. It’s estimated that perhaps only 5,000 kea remain across the South Island, and research suggests the population is particularly under threat from Possums, Stoats, and Feral Cats.
This possum trap (pictured), perched at over 1,500 metres elevation, features a node that sends an alert when the trap is triggered. Innovations like this from tech company Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) are making predator control more effective, helping tackle introduced pests on a massive scale across vast and varied landscapes.
Te Manahuna Aoraki Project is working to remove Hares, Stoats and Possums from 310,000 hectares in the Upper Mackenzie Basin and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. As part of that work, 18,000 hectares of the Malte Brun Range are already free of stoats and possums. The next step is to expand this elimination into the Liegbig Range.
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Kerikeri Peninsula
Caption: Protecting paradise in Opito Bay near Kerikeri. Northland is classic kiwi land but also home to fernbirds, geckos and pōhutukawa - all threatened by introduced predators. Image credit: Dean Wright (Kerikeri Peninsula Conservation Trust)
Kerikeri is located in the tropical far north of New Zealand.
Situated in the Northland region, it is an important habitat for kiwi, as well as Fernbirds, geckos, and our native tree, the Pōhutukawa—all of which are threatened by introduced predators.
This pictured trap is looked after by the local community conservation group, Kerikeri Peninsula Conservation Charitable Trust. More than 100 residents across 250 properties, plus parks and reserves, are volunteering time to check traps and remove stoats, rats and possums. Trail cameras pick up the fruits of their labour: the most incredible wildlife antics, including kiwi calls and a rare bittern battling an eel.
Volunteer projects like these prove anyone can get involved in protecting nature and make a difference. There are thousands of community groups across the country putting in the work. Every trap set and every predator removed helps safeguard what makes Aotearoa so special.
This article was written in collaboration with Predator Free New Zealand special thanks goes to Allison Hess who co wrote it.